Complete and authentic

It is also a "season of reunion" for generations from wartime to peacetime, and a time when faith is accompanied by action to welcome a new era of national progress. It is a time of widespread acts of gratitude and repayment; a concrete manifestation of the commitment to caring for the lives of the people in increasingly practical ways, with a series of policies including free tuition for students and free medical check-ups for the elderly throughout the city…

Besides national and city-level key projects that have been started and completed, with the spirit of "not letting files sit idle," many "stalled" public welfare projects have been "unsprung up," rapidly constructed, and put into operation and use, not only facilitating traffic but also serving the daily lives and livelihoods of the people.

Leaders and the public service apparatus have "surpassed themselves," continuously assigning task forces to the grassroots level to focus on resolving obstacles for project groups. Specifically, they have resolved 80% of the "bottlenecks" with 670 out of 838 projects, "unlocking" over 804 trillion VND of social resources, covering an area of 16,200 hectares, contributing to a 269% increase in budget revenue from land use fees compared to the same period.

Activities celebrating major holidays focus on caring for the well-being, social order, and safety of residents and tourists. A peaceful, hospitable, safe, and vibrant Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City has led the tourism industry to set records in both visitor numbers and revenue.

From here, the city's direction has been clearly defined and continues to be opened up: a balance between natural resources and cultural heritage, between preservation and development, the synergy and resonance of the local riverine culture, and the "on the riverbanks, under the boats" culture within a deep and sustainable regional connection.

Also from the A80-A50 milestone, the country underwent a strong transformation with a revolution in administrative boundary reorganization, streamlining the apparatus with a two-tiered local government. The expanded Ho Chi Minh City has met all the requirements not only in terms of geographical space but also in terms of socio-economic space, with the "gift" at the end of the year being the National Assembly's approval of Resolution 98, a special supplement and amendment, which will further facilitate the institutional flow for Ho Chi Minh City to accelerate its development.

Along with that, new economic models and financial institutions have emerged to match the needs of a city with 14 million inhabitants. From the Ho Chi Minh City International Financial Center, the Free Trade Zone, innovation centers, big data centers, to the science city, the urban railway network will not only cover the city but also connect across two provinces in the new Southeast Triangle, serving as a driving force for national and regional economic and infrastructure growth.

Following four decades of Doi Moi (Renovation) reforms, Ho Chi Minh City has once again positioned itself and earned trust in the role of a "pioneer" in the "institutional sandbox." The figures (such as an estimated GRDP growth of 8.03%, reaching nearly 3 trillion VND, accounting for 23.5% of the national GDP; state budget revenue (as of December 8, 2025) of 720,580 billion VND, achieving 107.3% of the central government's target and 103.3% of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council's target; the reduction and simplification of 441 administrative procedures, shortening the investment approval process from 35 days to 17 days...) demonstrate the continuous efforts and actions of the entire political and public service system of the city.

Clearly, with effective tools already in place (the "four pillars" resolutions, the amended and supplemented Special Resolution 98) and especially the results-based governance and technocratic governance methods established by the head of the city Party Committee and the city government, through the theme of the year (2026) "Opening up institutions - Unleashing resources - Infrastructure breakthroughs - Enhancing service efficiency - Creating substantive changes in the development of the city (after merger)", this will be an opportunity to accelerate implementation.

To achieve double-digit growth targets from next year onwards, public investment is an essential solution, and Ho Chi Minh City – a major construction site in 2026 – is a key factor in disbursing funds. The institutional tools have been provided; the remaining issue is the team responsible for implementation and deployment.

In addition, the economy needs restructuring – developing the digital economy as a growth driver; and re-architecting the development space towards a multi-polar, integrated, and connected direction. Solutions should focus on addressing bottlenecks such as flooding, traffic congestion, environmental sanitation, and air pollution.

As directed by the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Tran Luu Quang, which is also the keyword for the coming year: "substance" - both in thinking and action, in the roadmap and results, in the efficiency of government service and the effectiveness of benefits for citizens and businesses.

NGUYEN QUAN CAT

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tron-ven-va-thuc-chat-post828907.html